While most people are taking their boats out of the water for the season, water rescue swimmers from the Center Moriches Fire Departments along with lifeguards and other public safety personnel took to the cold waters of Moriches Bay to sharpen their water rescue skills.

Thursday night Union Ave Dock was transformed into a staging area for water rescue personnel to gear up and prepare for a night on the water.

After receiving a safety briefing from the instructors, water rescue personnel were divided into groups. Each group was assigned to a boat where they received different scenarios by radio. In one scenario, a boat crew had to navigate to a specific area and search for a “person” in the water. Once located, Rescue Swimmers were deployed into the water where they would work together to stabilize and package the person in the water.

Boat crews worked hand and hand with the rescue swimmers to ensure the victim as well as the swimmers were safely removed from the water onto the boats.

The multi-agency training also gave our boat operators a chance to sharpen their skills using thermal imaging camera equipment, navigation equipment, and other marine electronics to navigate through the dark bay waters

Members of the Center Moriches Fire Department Water Rescue Team are highly trained personnel who are ready to respond to any type of emergency on the water at a moment’s notice.

Center Moriches Fire Department would like to thank Flanders-Northampton Ambulance Special Operations, The Water Rescue Instructors, Center Moriches FD EMS, East Moriches FD, Eastport FD, Shirley Community Ambulance, Moriches Yacht Club, and all of the rescue personnel who took the time out of your busy schedules to train on a cool fall night.

If it wasn’t for your collaborative effort and support trainings like this would not be possible.